Flow indicator



June 12,, 1928;

C, D. FAGAN FLOW INDICATOR Filed July 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Cfiarles D IZzyan BY 6; ATTORNEY June 12, 1928. 1,673,000

C. D. FAGAN FLOW INDICATOR Filed July 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR Cfiaries D. Fzyan BY 2 5 ATTORNEY 2 Patented June "12, 1928.

1,673,000 UNITEl) STATES? PATENT 1=1=1E.

CHARLES D. FAGAN, OLE SHARON, PENN SYLVAQQILA, ASSIGNOR TO SHARPSVILLE BOILER WORKS (10., OF SHARPSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A "CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Application filed July 28,

The present invention "relates to a fluid flow indicator and more especially'to a device for indicating the flow of gasolene or the like for service stations.

In devices for public sale-of gasolene at gasolene service stations, it is desirable to provide means to assure the purchaser that gasolene is flowing through the service line. The present invention is a visual indicator for that purpose.

i In the present invention, the indication of flow is accomplished by a rotating member driven by the flow of gasolene and arranged in a casing. between 'a pair of windows in such manner as to cause the gasolene'flowing through the casing to become turbulent so that the liquid itself causes slight variations and the light passing through the said windows and an observer may easily and quickly ascertain that flow is taking place. The more rapid the flow, the greater the disturbance.

It is realized that the present invention may be embodied in structures other than those specifically disclosed herewith and therefore, this disclosure is to be understood as illustrative and not in the limiting sense.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred form of the present invention with a portion of the casing broken away to show the internal construction of the device.

Fig.2 is alongitudinal sectional eleva tional view taken on line 2-2 of'Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an end sectional elevation taken on line 3--3 'of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

inlet conduit 4 and an outlet conduit 5 The Referring now to the drawings, whichillustrate a preferred form of the invention, the device comprises a casting 1 comprising the major portion of the casing. This casting comprises a substantially cylindrical body portion 2, which is provided with an FLOW INDICATOR.

1927. Serial No. 209.153.

circular opening at the mouth of the inlet conduit. .This post 8 is provided with a guide opening9 the axis of which is parallel tor 1; comprising a sheet metal fan is mounted upon a rotor shaft 15, the lower end of which rests in the guide opening 9 and the upper end of which rests in the bearing 12. The distance between the upper end of the bearing opening 12 and the bottom of the guide opening 9 is greater than thetotal length of the rotor shaft 15 so that when liquid comes in through the inletconduit 4 and strikes the blades of the rotor 14, the'rotor and its shaft 15 are raised in such manner that the shaft bears only at its upper end against the adjustable bearing 10, the opening 9 in the post 8 merely act-ing as a guide to prevent the rotor and its shaft being displaced or carried away by the flow of the liquid and the upper end of the shaft taking the thrust during the flow of liquid through the device. The sides of the cylindrical body portion 2 preferably are turned to provide sealing faces. These sealing faces are provided with sealing grooves 16 and with fiat sealing zones 17. Compressible seals 13 such as cork rings or the like are adapted tooverlay the sealing faces and to support circular glass windows 18, one on each side of the device. Compression gaskets 19 also of cork or other material, are inserted between the, glass windows 18 and sealingrings 20. The sealing rin s are provided with ears 21 through wiich pressure screws 22 pass into anchor ribs 24 on the cylindrical body 2. As the pressure screws 22 are tightened, pressure is transmitted through the sealing rings, the compression gaskets, to the glass windows and then ,to

the sealing gaskets extending over the sealing grooves 16 and the sealing zone 17 on the sealing faces. This pressure tends to drive the rings into the sealing grooves and tliereby form intimate and secure seals which prevent the leakage of liquid from under the glass windows: The device is preferably mounted as indicated in Fig. 1 with the shaft 15 of the rotor 14 substantially vertical, and since there are windows on both sides of the device, the rotor is clearly visible. The device is preferably. mounted beyond the meter, and in the service line so that any liquid passing through the de vice must necessarily pass into and out of the service line, and in order that there may be no mistake in properly mounting the device, the inlet connection for the conduit 4 is provided with an indicating arrow 25.

When the device is connected as indicated, fluid coming into the device through the inlet conduit 4 flows out of the mouth 7 thereof and into the hollow cylindrical space surro'undin this outlet 7, which is located in substantially the mid portion of the cylindrical body 2. The flow is in all directions as indicated by the arrows A in Fig. 2 and the moving liquid strikes the vanes on the rotor 14, thereby immediately lifting the rotor from normal osition, indicated by the dotted line X in ig. 1, to operative position, indicated by dotted line Y. When in operative position, the flow of the liquid causes the rotor to rotate rapidly and as the vanes t urnon the axis of the shaft, they produce a fluttering effect which is very noticeable and furthermore, the flow of the gasoline as it leaves the-mouth of the inlet conduit, and turns in both directions as it is thrown out by the rotor and as the fiowconforms to the cylindrical body, roduces striations which show quite a di erent appearance through the windows than when the liquid in the casing is quiescent and no flow is taking place.

In devices of this character, it is partic ularly desirable that the mechanism shall be as simple as possible and require minimum amount of attention. In rotating devices, the difficulties usually arise with the bearings. In the-present case, the rotor' sub stantiall floats so that there is a minimum of friction between the shaft and its supports. The axially aligned openings are considerably larger than the shaft so that side contact of the shaft therewith is slight and is merely suflicient to maintain the shaft in position. The main bearing, being at the top of the shaft, sustains but little pressure when the rotor is raised because the weight of the rotor and shaft tends to partly overcomethe lifting force due to the'flow. In

view of the fact that as soon as theflow is stopped, the rotor drops to its normal posit1on of rest and the end of the shaft leaves the thrust bearing, this permits any particles of, metal that are worn away or any grit which might accidentally lodge inthe bear ing drop out and be washed out" of the bearing by the flow of liquid, so that the V main working bearing of the device is so frequently cleaned as to be substantially drical chamber, and a rotor mounted over the mouth of the inlet conduit and visible through said windows, said rotor being adapted to be rotated by flow of liquid from the mouth of said inlet conduit. J

2. A flow indicator comprising a cylindrical chamber, an inlet con in the center of the cylindrical chamber in a vertically directed outlet opening, an outlet conduit leading from said cylindrical chamber, a air of windows on said cylindrical chain er, a rotor mounted over the mouth of the inlet conduit and visible through said windows, said rotor being adapted to be rotated by flow of liquid from the mouth of said inlet conduit, and an indicator on said inlet conduit to indicate the mounting of said device to obtain proper direction of liquid through the devlce.

3. A flow indicator comprising a central chamber, tral chamber, an inlet conduit having the mouth thereof constructed to deliver an up wardly flowing stream of li uid into said chamber, an outlet conduit lea ing' from said chamber, a rotatable shaft, a rotatable indicator mounted on said shaft and over saidoutlet conduit, said indicator and shaft being permitted a limited vertical movement, a bearing abovesaid indicator and against which the shaft of the indicator is adapted to be raised when said-indicator is rotating, and means to guide the lower end of said shaft.

4. A flow indicator comprising a cylina window on each side of said cenuit terminating .110 drical central chamber having a substan--" tially horizontal axis, a window on each side .of said chamber to permit a clear vision passing through said windows so that the observer can determine whether there is a flow of liquid through, said chamber or whether said liquid is not flowing therethrough;

5. A flow indicator comprising a cylindrical-chamber having substantially a horizon-- tal axis, a window on each side of said chamber to permit a clear vision therethrough, an inlet terminating in a vertically directed mouth located at substantially the axis of said chamber, a rotatable indicator mounted above the mouth of the inlet conduit, a shaft for said indicator, guiding means for the lower end of said shaft, another guiding meansfor'the upper end of said shaft, a thrust bearing arranged relative to both guiding means to permit said shaft to be raised and lowered into and out of contact with said'bearing to permit the automatic cleaning of said bearing during theoperation of said device.

6. A flow indicator comprising a substan-- side of said chamber to permit a clear vision through the chamber, an inlet member comprising a conduit terminating in the central portion of said chamber and with an H wardly directed mouth to direct liquldan optical effect upon light passing through said windows to enable an observer to determine when liquid is flowing through said chamber.

OHARLES D. FAGAN. 

